Happy Feet

Do you hear this question a lot in your house? "Mommy, I can't find shoe(s)!" Well, this little organizational Candoozy that might just help get rid of this problem phrase in your home, so I thought I'd share. :)  I had been keeping my eyes out for a kid shoe solution for quite a while, procrastinating having to purchase and/or put together a costly piece.  Then one day, I stumbled upon this gem at Ross for only $40!

It fits perfectly against the angled wall outside our laundry room (to right of photo) where we enter and exit the house from the garage.  We have carpet in our living area and bedrooms, so we have a pretty well-followed "no shoes in the house" policy for the four of us to try to keep things cleaner (guests not included).  The box has a storage space of  ~3'x2'x2'.

No, their shoes don't stay this way - they definitely get disorganized, but the kids can always see and grab the shoes they need.  They took pretty quickly to their new "shoe box" and it's a handy bench for parent help with socks, buckling and tying.  If are implementing a new system or place for your kids' shoes, I would advise staying consistent by having them put their shoes away as soon as they walk in the door.  After enough repetition it will become habit.

Not too long after getting the box, I came upon a new question.  How might I incorporate their socks into this organization solution?  Both kids' socks drawers were in their rooms upstairs. This was a pain when socks are forgotten or skipped when getting dressed and they (or I) would have to run upstairs in a rush to grab some before leaving.  So, this was my idea....  

We have a bunch of those cotton canvas tote bags we get as freebie items from promo booths and events through work. I bet you have a few yourself!  I was glad to make use for two of them.  I took a permanent marker and drew a first initial on the back side of each bag.  I then took my trusty staple gun and stapled them onto the wooden bracing on the underside of lid of the storage bench.  I stapled the top, right and left sides of each bag to the wood.

And voila! Sock bags in the shoe box!

I haven't had much problem with socks falling out of the bags because they're almost the exact height for the lid keeping them flush to the inside of the box.  The kids and I can now get their socks and shoes in one place and put them on our way out the door.  Since this moment is almost always a rushed moment, this solution makes things go one step faster.  

Need a shoe/sock solution?  I hope this might help give or spur ideas for a new "Happy Feet" solution for your family!

Side Note: How do hubby and I follow our "no shoes" policy, you ask?  Well, most of our shoes are kept on bracket on shelves we installed in our garage next to the entrance.  We keep most of them in their original shoe boxes and put on/take  off as we go in and out of the garage.  (We do keep our lesser worn shoes and my dressier shoes to try on with outfits in our master closet.)  This is a great way to make for more closet space, as well as for keeping your carpets and floors cleaner!  Just don't forget to close your garage door! :-)